Specific Comments on Platte River Draft EIS

• File Number: 8461.100
• Description: Adaptive Management Workgroup
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 9/17/2004
• Author: CWCB
• Title: Specific Comments on Platte River Draft EIS
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Board Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO
Colorado Water Conservation B
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us
September 17, 2004
Platte River EIS Office (PL-100)
PO Box 25007
Denver, Colorado
g0225-0007
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on th
Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Decembf
submitted on behalf of Rick Brown, Colorado W?
Colorado Water Conservation Board has approvi
2004 Colorado Water Conservation Board commi
comments. Included in these specific comments
Research Council (see Attachment 1) as they rela
River and habitats used on the Platte River.
CHAPTER 1
Specifc
Bill Owens
Govemor
Russell George
Executive Director
Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director
Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director
Platte River Recovery Implementation Program,
2003. The following specific comments are
er Conservation Board, State of Colorado. The
i submittal of General Comments (see July 21,
Zts) and directed staff to submit these specific
? a copy of comments submitted to the National
? directly to the history of species use of the Platte
omments
The Lower Platte River is defined in the Propose Program as the Platte River from the confluence
of the Elkhorn, NOT from Chapman to the Platte nd Missouri River confluence.
Figure 1-2 It should be recognized that none of th reasons for listing of the Pallid Sturgeon are
related to activities that occurred on the Platte Ri er and its tributaries.
Fi urg e 1_2 For the Whooping Crane, the figure s1
the Platte River area" is a primary reason for listi
loss of habitat throughout the species' range in re
habitat historically extended from the Dakotas to
habitat has also been significantly reduced. See ,
Federal Register 20938, May 15, 1978 which cor
in the Central Platte River.
P. 1-9, 1-10 The Platte River has not been docum,
Pallid Sturgeon. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv
Cross 1954 as the source document for the histori
document presents no evidence that the Platte Riv
addition, the reference to remedies and loss of hat
should be removed. The limited recent occurrenc
that considerable loss of habitat "particularly in
This is incorrect. The DEIS should provide the
)nship to the Platte. Whooping Crane breeding
ntana and North to the Arctic Circle. Wintering
32 Federal Register March 11, 1967 and 43
no specific conclusion regarding loss of habitat
ited as being part of the historic range of the
;e (Service) erroneously references Bailey and
range of the Pallid Sturgeon. This reference
r was ever used by the Pallid Sturgeon. In
tat on the lower Platte for the Pallid Sturgeon
of Pallid Sturgeon in the Platte River is the result